Internal combustion engine sealing ring locating means



Aug. 9, 1932. Q WALRATH 1,871,25Q

ENTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE SEALING RING LOGATING MEANS Filed April 9, 1951 Patented Aug. 9, 1932 UNITED STATES arent OFFICE PERCY o. wALnA'rn, OF DETROIT, MICHIAN, nssmivon 'ro sknmnn morons, me, or DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION or DELAWARE INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE SEALING RING LOCATING- MEANS Application filed April 9,

In internal-combustion engines of the type having an outer cylinder, an inner cylinder inside of, and spaced slightly away frorn,'the encompassing, outer cylinder, a cylinderhead extending down into the outer cylinder but spaced inwardly away from its round wall, a power-piston slidable in saidvinnercylinder, a split, expansible, ported sealingring bearing endwise on the top of the inner cylinder, the latter being unported and terminating below inlet and exhaust ports of the outer cylinder, means in association with the cylinder-head and sealing-ring to seal the gas pressures in the combustion-chamber of the engine, arcuate, ported valves slidable between the outer cylinder, on the one hand, and the inner cylinder, sealing-ring and cylinder-head, on the other hand, with suitable means for reciprocating the valves in proper manner, trouble has heretofore been experienced in providing means for preventing turning of the sealing-ring, which, if permitted to occur, would probably result, in a short time, in lack of the required, proper registration of its ports with those of the valves and of the outer cylinder. I

it has been proposed to use a positioningpin mounted in the cylinder-head and projecting into a cavity or recess in the inner surface of the sealing-ring, but'such an arrangement of parts has not proved to be entirely feasible or satisfactory, because the pin partakes of the more or less extreme expansions and contractions of the cylinderhead, which is in direct contact with the explosion gases in the combustion-chamber.

Such a pin, so mounted, may bind on the margin of the ring-recess or carbon may accumulate in such cavity with the-result, in either case, that a prohibitory or unpermissible binding action occurs between the ring and the valve or valves against which it presses outwardl The present invention alms to provide suitable and simple means for holding or locating such a sealing-ring in place without the possibility of detrimental or 0b eet1onable results occurring.

To permit those trained in this industry to understand the invention fully, both from 1931. Serial No. 528,723.

structural and functional viewpoints, in the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification, and to which reference been illustrated, and, for simplicity, like reference numerals have been employed in the two views to designate the same parts.

In this drawing,

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary section through the upper portion only of one of the cylinders of a multi-cylinder engine incorporating the present invention; and

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the ported sealing-ring forming a part of the engine structure, and with which the invention is more particularly identified.

Referring to the drawing, it will be noted that the engine includes the known, outer, water-jacketed cylinder 11 having the usual inlet and exhaust ports 12 and 13, respectively, the stationary, inner cylinder 14, supported from below by means not shown, and terminating at its top end below the specified ports, the power-piston 15 reciprocating in such inner cylinder, and which is connected to the engine crank-shaft by the customary connecting-rod, neither of which has been illustrated, the longitudinally-split, expansible and contractible sealing-ring 16 bearing at its lower end directly on the top edge of the inner cylinder, such sealing-ring having a bridged inlet-port 17 and an unobstructed or unbrldged exhaust-port 18, which are in register with the associated or companion, admission and discharge ports 12 and 13 of the outer cylinder, a continuous or unsplit,-holddown ring 19 hearing immediately on the top of the sealing-ring, a plurality or nested group of inclined, flexible reeds 21 mounted on the cylinder-head 22 and pressing at their outer ends on the inner surface of the holddown ring, coiled spring 23 and their whole or divided rin 24 located between the cylinder-head an the hold-down ring, and ported, arcuate or substantially-semicircular, inlet and exhaust valves 25 and 26 having correspondingports 27 and 28, and located between, and slidable lengthwise between,

the outer cylinder, in which they fit, and on the inside, the inner cylinder, sealing-ring,

hold-down ring and cylinder-head, these valves being reciprocated in proper manner 5 and correct, timed relation to the operation of the other parts of the engine by means not illustrated.

So far thus described, the engine is not my invention, but the latter will now be referred to in detall.

To preclude the sealing-ring from turning around more or less and to assure the maintenance of proper registration of its ports with the associated or companion ports of the outer cylinder, and also those of the intermediate valves, a pin .or lug 29, sharpened at its outer end if desired, is screwed into, and projects outwardly from, an otherwise unapertured part of the sealing-ring between the adjacent ends of its inlet and exhaust ports, such pin extending into an elongated space 31 between the adjacent edges of the two valves,

each of which is cut away or recessed slightly at 32, 32 to unitedly or conjointly provide the gap referred to.

Inasmuch as the valves merely reciprocate longitudinally and are prevented from turning by the means which slides them, they, through the instrumentality of the intervening pin or stud 29, will debar the sealing-ring from turning about its axis.

Although I have shown the recessing of the proximate edges of the two valves to supply the space for the accommodation of the locating or holdingpin, which construction is preferable because it minimizes the reduction in the pressure-sealing surfaces of the valves, it does not preclude the recessing of one valve onl for this purpose.

bviously, by this novel :1. '1 improved construction, I have avoided the mounting of the ring-locating pin on the cylinder-head, with its accruing disadvantages.

Also, the pin projects into a space between the valve margins, where there is comparatively little likelihood for the accumulation of objectionable carbon. I

The invention as defined b the following claims is not necessarily restricted to the precise and exact details of structure, and these may be changed or modified without departure from the essential principles of the invention, and without the loss or sacrifice of any of the substantial benefits or advantages which accrue from its employment.

I claim:

' 1. The combination of an outer ported cylinder, a head for said cylinder, an inner cylinder inside of and spaced away from said outer cylinder, a piston slidable in said inner cylinder, means to seal the fluid pressures in the outer cylfixder above said piston in-' cludin an expansible and contractible ported sea ing-ring bearing endwise on an end 65 of said inner cylinder with its ports in substantial register with those of said outer cylinder, arcuate reciprocatory valve-means sliding between said outer cylinder on the one hand and said inner cylinder and sealing-ring on the other hand, and means to prevent said sealing-ring from turning comprising a locating-pin mounted on, and projecting from the outer side of said sealing-ring, and co-operating with means preventing turning of the sealing-ring about its own axis..

2. The combination of an outer ported cylinder, a head for said cylinder, an inner cylinder inside of and spaced away from said outer cylinder, a piston slidable in said inner cylinder, means to seal the fluid pressures in the outer cylinder above said lston including an expansible and contractible ported sealing-ring bearing endwise on an end of said inner cylinder with its ports in substantial register with those of said outer cylinder,

'arcuate reciprocatory valve-means sliding between said outer cylinder on the one hand and'saidinner cylinder and sealing-ring on the other hand, and means to prevent said sealing-ring from turning comprising a locating-pin mounted on, and projecting from the outer side of said sealing-ring, and cooperating with said valve-means to prevent turning of the sealing-ring about its own axis.

3. The combination of an outer ported cylinder, a head for said cylinder, an inner cylinder inside of and spaced away from said outer cylinder, a piston slidable in said inner cylinder, means to seal the fluid pres- 1c sures in the outer cylinder above said piston including an expansible and contractible ported sealing-ring bearing endwise on an end of said inner cylinder with its ports in substantial register with those of said outer cylinder, arcuate reciprocatory valve-means sliding between said outer cylinder on the one hand and said inner cylinder and sealingring on the other hand, and means to prevent sai sealing-ring from turning comprising a locating-pin mounted on, and pro ectin from the outer side of, said sealing-ring an extending into a groove provided. by said valve-means to prevent its turning about the axis of the sealing-ring.

4. In an internal-combustion engine, the combination of an outer ported cylinder, a head for said cylinder, an inner c linder 1nside of and spacedaway from sai outer cylinder, a power-piston slidable in said inner 120 c linder means to seal the gas ressures in t e combustion-chamber of sai engine in-. cluding an expansible and contractible ported sealing-ring bearing endwise on the end of said inner' cyhnder with its ports in substan- 1% tial register with those of said outer cylinder, arcuate reciprocatory valves sliding between said'outer c linder on the one hand and said 4 from turning comprising a locating-pin mounted on, and projecting from the outer side of, said sealing-rin said two valves being recessed on their ad] acent edges to provide a gap into which said pin projects. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

PERCY G. WALRATH. 

